ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale
)The Gold Coast tourism sector is "still holding on" to hopes for a successful Easter period, despite the uncertainty caused by Greater Brisbane's sudden three-day lockdown, according the city's peak industry body.
Destination Gold Coast chief executive Patricia O'Callaghan said the Easter break has been tipped as a "critical point" for the $5.9 billion industry, which has lost $3 billion worth of business during the pandemic.
"We have to take each day as it comes," she said.
Ten new cases were announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday morning, eight of which were locally acquired.
But Ms O'Callaghan said there have "mixed and varied" reports of booking cancellations in the past 24 hours, with some operators confused by the rules and uncertain over what to tell their customers.
People feel 'uncertain and uncomfortable'
Manager of Gemini Court Holiday Apartments in Burleigh Heads, Therese Laroque, said within hours of yesterday's announcement, she received calls from concerned customers.
The state government was expected to review the lockdown measures on Wednesday evening but Ms Laroque said that "doesn't give people confidence".
ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale
)"They don't like the uncertainty and they're feeling very uncomfortable," she said.
If lockdown does get extended, Ms Laroque said the apartments would be empty because "there isn't enough time to fill it with people who would be able to travel".
The signs were good until now
Just hours after the lockdown was announced, the first Rex Airlines flight from Melbourne arrived on the Gold Coast — a new route that aims to add 250,000 seats to the airport's annual capacity.
Queensland Airports Limited chief executive Chris Mills said he hoped Brisbane's first three-day lockdown could serve as a successful "blueprint".
ABC Gold Coast: Steve Keen
)"In January when Brisbane locked down, Gold Coast kept on operating and was very busy," Queensland Airports Limited chief executive Chris Mills said.
Destination Gold Coast chief executive Patricia O'Callaghan said tourism had been showing promise.
"Numbers were looking really strong and our airport was reporting that capacity was nearly at pre-COVID levels," she said.
"We're still holding on to that confidence."
Supplied: Townsville Enterprise
)With many tourism operators already unsettled by the end of JobKeeper this week, Ms O'Callaghan said ensuring the success of lockdown measures was key.
But with concerns that some Brisbane residents drove south along the unusually congested M1 Highway yesterday afternoon, Ms O'Callaghan said it wa a matter of waiting.
"We can't speculate what people are doing on the M1, but all I've got to say is hopefully they are doing the right thing," she said.
"As more details unfold, I think we'll have a stronger handle on what Easter is going to look like."
